al-Dhahabi, who said of this al-Sulami, “He is truthful”; Ibn al-Qayyim in his I‘lam; and others.

Also to be included among those who declared it authentic are all those who cited it as proof or expounded it. They are a vast multitude who cannot be counted, including al-Khatib in al-Fiqh wa’l-Mutafaqqih, al-Khattabi in his Ma‘alim, Ibn Taymiyyah in his Fatawa, al-Shatibi in al-I‘tisam, and very many others.

In addition to the consensus of these hadith masters and imams that it is authentic, it has also come through other routes, as al-Shatibi and Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali stated. I had already traced a substantial number of these in al-Irwa’ (8/107–108) and Zilal al-Jannah (1/17–20). I therefore consider it necessary to summarize the discussion of them here, for a reason to be explained below.

That was the first route, whose authenticity you now know.

The second route: from Yahya ibn Abi al-Muta‘, who said: “I heard al-Irbad ibn Sariyah.”

It was narrated by Ibn Majah, Ibn Abi Asim, Ibn Nasr, al-Hakim, and al-Tabarani. Its chain of transmission is authentic and continuous.

The third: through two routes from Artah ibn al-Mundhir, from al-Muhasir ibn Habib, from him.

It was narrated by Ibn Abi Asim and al-Tabarani in al-Kabir and Musnad al-Shamiyyin. Its chain of transmission is authentic and free of any hidden defect.

The fourth: from Jubayr ibn Nufayr, from him.

The fifth: through two routes from Khalid ibn Ma‘dan, from Ibn Abi Bilal, from al-Irbad.

It was narrated by Ahmad and al-Tabarani with a good chain suitable for corroboration. Ibn Abi Bilal—whose name was Abdullah—was deemed reliable by Ibn Hibban, and al-Hafiz graded his chain good in another hadith of his.

The hadith also has a corroborating report from an Ansari man among the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with a good chain of transmission. It is documented in al-Irwa’ (8/108).